Aug 24, 12:43 PM

Zelensky Says Ukraine Using Indigenous Arms as Trump Pauses US Shipments

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv has recently carried out cross-border strikes using domestically produced weapons and no longer seeks Washington’s approval for such operations. The statement follows a Wall Street Journal report that the Pentagon has introduced a case-by-case review restricting Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied long-range arms, including ATACMS missiles. The policy, a reversal of the November 2024 authorization granted under former president Joe Biden, gives Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth final say and has already blocked at least one planned strike inside Russia. Adding to Kyiv’s constraints, the Trump administration has temporarily halted shipments of Patriot air-defense interceptors, GMLRS rockets, Hellfire missiles and Howitzer rounds, citing low U.S. stockpiles, according to an Associated Press account. Washington nevertheless approved the transfer of 3,300 ERAM extended-range air-launched missiles—capable of hitting targets more than 400 kilometers away—with delivery expected within six weeks. It remains unclear whether the current restrictions will allow Ukraine to employ the new weapons against targets on Russian territory.